An international project outlined the key climate risks for the Municipality of the City of Dobrich

On 28 January 2026, the Municipality of the City of Dobrich presented the results of Phase 2 “Climate Risk Assessment” within the framework of the project “ARCADIA: Advanced Risk Assessment through Debates, Innovation and Action for Climate Resilience in Dobrich.” The project is implemented under the European initiative CLIMAAX with financial support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme. The event brought together representatives of the municipal administration, local institutions, businesses, media, and civil society organizations to discuss climate threats facing the city.

The ARCADIA project is part of the European project CLIMAAX, which supports European municipalities in assessing their climate risks and building resilience to climate change. Dobrich Municipality is one of seven Bulgarian municipalities included in this initiative.

Prof. Neli Hristova from the Institute for Climate, Atmosphere and Water Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences presented the main results of the in-depth and prioritized climate risk assessment for the Municipality of Dobrich. The assessment shows that heatwaves and heavy/extreme rainfall are among the risks with the highest level of urgency due to their impact on public health, infrastructure, and economic activity in the municipality. The study also found that windstorms pose a high risk, especially when combined with heavy rainfall. River floods and snowstorms remain relevant but are more episodic in nature and have a more limited impact. An important part of the research was a survey among local stakeholders, which revealed a high level of awareness of natural hazards but insufficient information regarding crisis response and evacuation routes.

Alexandra Zlateva, a project expert, also drew attention to long-term risks for the region—drought; soil erosion; and rare but intense rainfall. According to her, the necessary measures primarily include changes to the existing disaster and emergency protection plans.

The discussion also involved experts Plamen Peev and Stanislav Stanev, who presented the methodology used in the development of the report. This methodology combines European climate data, local information, scientific modeling, and active stakeholder participation to prioritize climate risks for the Municipality of the City of Dobrich.

The results of Phase 2 will serve as a basis for the next, third phase of the ARCADIA project, which will focus on the development, prioritization, and evaluation of specific climate change adaptation measures, such as the update of the disaster risk reduction program. Within Phase 3, the Municipality of Dobrich will work jointly with experts and stakeholders to implement solutions that enhance the resilience of the local community and infrastructure.